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Gender differences in mathematics attainment of Singaporean pupils
Citation
Singapore Journal of Education, 12(1), 33-51
Abstract
This study compares the performance of Singapore boys and girls in Ordinary ('O’) level Mathematics
(Syllabus D). A sample of 88 boys and 88 girls was used to identify some areas of concern as regards
gender and Mathematics attainment. The findings of the study were as follows:
(i) Boys performed better than girls on Paper I questions.
(ii) For the compulsory questions on both papers boys did significantly better than the girls on the
following topics - mensuration, statistics, arithmetic, geometry and probability while the girls
out-performed the boys on algebra and graphs.
(iii) Boys also surpassed girls on the compulsory questions which tested spatial ability.
(iv) In Paper II, section B, girls showed a marked preference for questions on algebra and graphs,
and vectors in two dimensions while the boys' only marked preference was the question on
mensuration.
The pupils' grades in Mathematics were also compared with those of the other subjects they took
in the English medium examination and it was found that grades in Physics, Science (Chemistry,
Physics) and Metalwork - the so called Mathematics-related subjects - did not correlate to the same
degree for the two sexes.
The Mathematics results of the Singapore candidature in 'O' level Mathematics examination
revealed that on the whole boys performed better than girls.
Date Issued
1992